The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-09

Eed and Disposed Of
Death from insdvertence OF dealt
from old age" rs the way that Mr.
Perry, the Chief Clerk of the Dead
Letter Office, designates the two classe
into which al mail matter that come
to the office is dieided. That classifca
ton was made. however, in the cours,
OF conversation with a Star reporter
In cfhcial utterances more stately Ian
guage is used, and when Mr. Baird, tn,
superintendent, pens his annual repor
he divides all mail matter that i,
handled by the office into unmailable
matter and unclaimed, or dead matter
proper. Matter belonging 10 both
classes may be regarded as dead as soon
as it's sent to the Dead-Letter Office,
but, owing to the improved methods
adopted and the skill and ingenuity OF
those engaged in the work, death, in a
large proportion of cases, proves to be
only a comatOse conditions case of
syncope, which skillful application of
restoratives Overcomes. The letter
then goes forward with renewed vigor
to its destination The unmailable
matter, or that which dies from mad
vertence on the part of the sender. is
that which is held for postage, which
has Illegible, incorrect, OF insufficient
addresses, or where the matter is placed
in the mails contrary to the postal laws
and regulations, as, for instance, de-
structlve matter and obscene matter.
Now, the other class, or dead matter
proper, is such matter as, havinr
reached the Office of distribution. is
either unclaimed or refused by the party
addressed, or which, from its nature.
Dr. because of indefinite or Fictitious
address, can not be delivered. The
classification above referred to is made
after the matter reaches the Dead-Let-
ter Ofiice, where it comes every day in
great sacks from all parts Of the country.
The sacks are shot up stairs by an
elevator into great hall with lofty
ceiling running through two stories.
The floor of this hall is covered with
desks, long tables and sacks, full and
empty. There is busy corps of
clerks, some armed with sharp, glitter
ing knives and others bending over
iedgers. A wide gallery runs around
Ihe hall, supported by spiral columns,
and dark green curtain above the
iron railing shuts off from view the
clerks occupying the gallery, who are
mostly ladies. The sacks come piling
N, and each days mail brings over TO-
poo letters and packages the year
around. One hundred and four pairs
pf brisk hands seize upon tkis mass of
material, and in a short time it is ar
ranged, classified and the records made
mp, so that all that enters the Office can
se accounted for.
There were over 100000 pieces of
mari matter received at the offiee last
gear. an increase of about five per cent.
over thatreceived during the previous
gear. OF this number over 4. O0O. 600 |
pieces aredead matter, pure and simple.
S,50e, ,eoS being ordinary unclaimed |
letters.
The letters find their way TO the
openers desk, which is a long table
divided into compartments bV low
wooden partitions, and before each of
the compartments sits clerk. There
are eleven openers at present Their
business is 10 open letters. To read a
ietter is net .eRiy against the regula-
ions of the Office. but against the law.
All dag long they are obliged ts sit
there. thrusting their long-pointed knife
Blades iato enc corner of the envelope
and then ripping 1t open, remove the
sontents- fold il with che envelope, and
place il in q pile on their desks. and
hen go ON the next But there are no
Tomen at that desk. They are all men
and old men st that Staid, sober.
men. fathers of families.
and patri2rehs in the church. For it is
not alone the temptations of curiosity
that have TO be encountered at the
openers desk II that were all,
GOmsn would. no doubt. have been adj
aitted to the fraternity long before this.
The women already number three
tourths of the clerical force of the Office.
and in their lofty perch in the gallery
they examine the opened letters for the
address of the writer. or some evidence
upon which to base . reasonable con-
,lusion as to the origin or destination {
,f the letters. They are not debarred,
therefore. from the openers table on
account of an alleged preponderanee of {
iemale curiosity. The custom of having s
men at this desk has q rather curious
history, as a reporter aseertained in {
alking with an old employe of the G
,ffice. tt used to be the practice to en- t
'loy the mails in sending forward a e
mass of indecent books, pictures, etc, c
md all that class of publications which l
minister to the prurient and depraved /
aste. Of course, there was a good {
leal of this stuff in the letters that came c
o the Dead-Letter Office, and it was i
ather disagreeable duty for woman 1
by men to open letter con- n
aiming an indecent picture or an OBJ c